284 
TKAVELS IN AFKICA. Chap. LXXX. 
the village of Kuttukole, situated on an island in the 
river. The place was extremely rich in herbage, but 
greatly infested by ants, and, in consequence, full of 
ant-hills ; but we only passed here the hot hours of 
the day, in order to give our animals some rest, and 
then set out again just as a thunderstorm was gather- 
ing in A'ussa on the opposite side of the river. 
The sheet of water is here broad and open, forming 
an island, and does not exhibit the least traces of 
rocks. The shore was richly clad with vegetation, 
and a little further on seemed even to be frequented 
by a good many people ; but they did not inspire us 
with much confidence. Meanwhile, the thunderstorm 
threatening to cross over from the other side of the 
river and reach us, we hastened onward, and en- 
camped on the low and grassy shore, opposite a small 
village called Wantila, situated on an island full of 
tall diim-palms, which however, at present, was only 
separated from the main by a narrow swampy creek. 
However, we had a sleepless night, the district being 
greatly infested by the people of Larba. The go- 
vernor of this place, as we now learned, was then 
staying in the town of Karma, which we had just 
passed, and from whence proceeded a noise of war- 
like din and drumming which continued the whole 
night. 
At an early hour, therefore, the next morning we 
set out, keeping at a short distance along the river, the 
ground presenting no signs of cultivation, while the 
steep slope on the opposite bank almost assumed the 
